Map to Holiness

Objective

• To help 6th grader boys to understand the concept of holiness.

Memory Verse

• "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)
• "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the spring of life" (Proverbs 4:23)
  
• "For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34)
  
• "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word." (Psalm 119:9)
  
• "Your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)
  

Reference

• The Five Love Languages of Children: The Secret to loving
• Children Effectively by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
• "Preparing Your Son for Every Man's Battle" by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker
• 4 Things to Teach Our Kids About Purity- http://thecharactercorner.com/4- things-to-teach-our-kids-about-purity/
• What Humpty Dumpty Can Teach Us about Sexual Purity: http://www.christianpost.com/news/what-humpty-dumpty-can-teach-us-about-sexual-purity-79593/

Introduction (Background Research for Servants)

God's Plan for Purity:

• Men and women were created to live a holy life, glorify His name and bear children that also glorify His name.
  God created our organs to glorify Him and to develop unity in a MARRIED couple.
• It is part of the marriage relationship designed to bring them closer.
• The bond of marriage is responsibility and love. It is a profound mystery, beautiful to understand. God's love for the church is like the love of a man for his wife; protective, unified and sacrificial.
• How does the Devil mess it up?
• The holy, sanctified and a lifelong relationship of marriage according to God's design has been transformed into a casual, temporary and self-serving relationship.
• Satan took this holy union and said it is just an expression of love and any two who love each other are allowed to practice it.
• He convinces people it is a basic need of the body and a natural thing to happen.
• Encourages all the movies, games, cartoons and everything around us to point to sex indirectly and fool people by his twisted ideas about God's plan.

Lesson Outline

• It is important to create a safe space for the boys to feel comfortable to have this conversation.
• The lesson should be more of a discussion than a presentation.
• Leave room for the boys to share their thoughts and feelings - and keep the main points in mind.
• No matter what we do or where we go, God gives us His word as a guide for Holiness:
  • God's word gives us His commandment to help us make decisions when we are faced with different choices.
  • God's word tells us about his love and what he has done to forgive our sins and give us eternal life.
    
  • So, the Holy Bible is the map for all areas of our life, you can choose to ignore His plan for you, but it will make your journey in life much harder.
• In any journey you need a:
  • Map: The Bible, tells you where your destination is and which path you should take.
  • Compass: Jesus Christ, by putting Christ in first place in your life, He will show you what to do and what not to do.
  • Guide: Parents, Father of Confession, Church
  • Servants, they will make your journey much shorter and to the point as they have experienced the same path before, and they will also help you to avoid getting lost before reaching your destination.
• In the journey of your life (specifically during preteen and teen years) you will face challenges, and you have the following options:
  • Runaway and hide.
  • Give up.
  • Prepare to win.
• What do you think you need to do to overcome your challenges? Do you think there are traps during our journey? Yes, there are many:
  • Lying to your parents
  • Peer Pressure
  • Sex
  • Pornography
• How do we avoid traps?
  1. Make WISE CHOICES. (Proverbs 13:14) "The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life that one may turn away from the snares of death."
  2. Don't lie to your parents and adults in your lives. They care about you and love you.
  3. How to protect yourself against negative peer pressure:
     • Stick to your map, compass, and guide to be able to sense if this peer pressure is negative or positive.
     • Being kind does not mean giving in, you can always say no to activities that don't fit you as a child of Christ.
     • Asking for help isn't immature, even adults need help sometimes. Pray. You are never alone. God is listening.
  4. Choose good friends. What do you look for in a friend?
     • What do you know about their heart? What are their desires?
     • What is the way they talk (speech)? Is its godly speech?
     • What do they watch? Do they have a simple holy eye?
     • Where do their feet take them? To church, to visit the sick and help the needy? "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16)
  5. You need to find out who you are and what your purpose is.
     • (Ephesians 2:10) "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
     • You were each created in God's image.
     • God has a mission for you- a unique purpose.

So, what about sex? Who designed it? And why? Is it good or bad?
God designed sex, so it must be good because God designs only good things. Here are some of the values for which God designed sexuality.

• • To establish a committed relationship between a husband and wife. For the husband and wife to practice sacrificial caring love with one another.
  • To allow for a very unique and deep relationship between the husband and wife.
  • To allow them to unite and bond with each other.
  • To allow the husband and wife to celebrate together in pleasure their most intimate relationship. To participate in His creation by bringing forth human beings to this world through their act of love with His blessing.
• Outside of marriage sexuality (not the act of sex), has a role in shaping gender-related activities that do not include intimacy (This means, for example for boys, playing rough activities with peers, sports etc.).
• So, you now know that in God's perspective, sexuality means much more than just having sex.

6. So how can I stay pure?

• Purity starts in the heart and mind.
• Turn your eyes from bad images.

Activity:

Items needed: Poster board, pens, and biblical verses above on a sheet of paper.

Directions: Split the students up into groups and give them a scenario. Ask each group to draw a map (Bible verses) that will help them avoid the trap or scenario and how they can use the Compass (Christ) and a Guide (adults in their lives) to avoid the situation or make it better.

Examples: Friends invite them to watch porn, they see a bad image, they hear a bad joke etc., watch a raunchy movie, and listening to sexually explicit songs (do your research on what kids are exposed to).

Conclusion

• After each group shares what they came up with, ask the students how the situation could have changed. Put up the different posters in the room as a reminder
• Remind the students that Christ is always with them. That they should always feel supported and know it's ok to approach a trusted adult to talk about their problems.

Application

• Help the students come up with a plan that they can take this map home by taking some of the examples they learned about and how to react in the best way to it.